We're going to need a bigger boat, um, forum location. That is the case with JP Progressives' state rep forum on June 5th. Originally slated to be held at Doyle's, there was so much interest that the event was moved to the roomier First Baptist Church.
The June 5th state representative forum will be for the 11th Suffolk County District seat currently held by Liz Malia, who was first elected in 1998. Click here to read a column by Malia providing a fall legislative update from 2017: Community Prosperity Through Behavorial Health.
Come September she has two opponents: Ture Turnbull and Charles Clemons Muhammad.
This is Turnbull's first time running for an elected office. Read a Q&A with Turnbull about he's running here. As the executive director for MassCare, Turnbull has worked to establish a single pay healthcare system in Massachusetts.
Muhammad has continually run for elected positions through the years. He ran for the District 7 Boston City Council seat in 2015, ran against Malia in 2016, and ran for mayor in 2013. Click here for his campaign website.
There will be three moderators with John Riordan, a member of the JP Progressives Steering Committee as the lead moderator, and there will also be a community member and youth moderator, said Anne Rousseau, co-chair of JP Progressives, via email to Jamaica Plain News.
All candidates are being given two minutes to provide opening statements and three minutes for closing statements. The moderator will ask questions and candidates will have two minutes to respond. They can only rebut if they addressed by name.
Questions are being selected on the public website forum slido.com. People can ask questions or vote on questions that are already posted. Public input closes June 1st. Moderators will select questions to make sure that community issues such as affordable housing, immigration and more are addressed.
Candidates were invited by JP Progressives and Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale, to respond to the Progressive Mass questionnaire for candidates to the Massachusetts legislature.
The JP Progressives' 11th Suffolk District forum will take place on Tuesday, June 5th, 2018, at the First Baptist Church (633 Centre St.). This event is free to attend and open to the public.
JP Progressives will host a public forum for the 15th Suffolk District state representative race on July 9th with state Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez and challenger Nika Elugardo.